(Cross posted from BoydaBloc)
While Politico.com has a field day with a slew of GOP resignations in the US House & Senate today, Kansas political bloggers continue to be in the doldrums brought on by the Thanksgiving break. So, rather than mention (over and over again) the nifty post Blue Tide Rising had this morning, this blog is going to go back in time for a minute and wonder aloud: is it really OK for Republicans Jim Ryun and Lynn Jenkins to line their pockets with campaign contributions totaling more than a worker living on the federal minimum wage makes in a year and a half?
I'm going to go ahead and say no.
To begin, please reflect back to the post made on this blog about the 3rd quarter fundraising reports filed by the two folks running for and the one woman holding the 2nd Congressional District seat in Kansas. 'Course, it's nice to remember Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Boyda ended the quarter with the most cash on hand- the only number that really matters, since, heck, it's the number that produces things like yard signs and TV commercials- but that's not the part you should pay attention to today: look, instead, to the amounts the two Republicans paid themselves during the reporting period.
Yep, both "fiscal conservative" Republicans decided their wallets needed a little fattening- to the tune a combined total of more than $20K.
I should admit an error- in my earlier post I said Lynn Jenkins gave herself more than Jim Ryun gave himself in Q3...that's not the case. While Lynn did indeed give herself $3,146.76 for mileage and "training," Jim's 3rd quarter total was $3,527.71- all in mileage reimbursements.
I don't really have much more to say about Lynn, other than to include she gave herself more than a person working on the newly increased federal minimum wage (thank you, Congress) would make in 13 weeks- such a person would have to work 538 hours to earn has much as Lynn Jenkins gifted herself out of her campaign coffers. Lynn, of course, has a job, and the people of the state of Kansas do continuing paying her to do that job- though, as she's done with every other elected position she's held, having a job doesn't seem to be preventing her from looking for a new one while still on our dime...but that's a different post.
Ah, but Lynn's offense, while depressing, isn't even close to the main event. Good 'ol former world record miler Jim Ryun wins this particular race in a walk. In 2007, Jim Ryun has taken from his campaign a shocking $17,184.53 in mileage reimbursements- $10,611.68 in the second quarter alone!
Now, I have no idea where Jim is going that he would ever be able to rack up that kind of gasoline bill- unless, of course, he's driving back and forth to Argentina in an effort to win Nancy's seat in Congress. (Certainly needs something that gets better gas mileage than the SUV from his "environment" commercial from '06, regardless of what make-believe places he's visiting).
Being the good conservative he is, though, I'm sure he's not bilking his donors into paying him a salary to run for Congress...no, surely not...
Because my Momma told me to never leave something up to other people to figure out: a person on minimum wage would have to work for nearly 74 weeks to earn that much money- or exactly 2,937.5 hours.
The stunning amount of money Jim Ryun's campaign has given back to the candidate isn't the only sad/hilarious disbursement on the records. In the 2nd and 3rd quarters the campaign spent nearly $300 at convenience stores and McDonald's ($292.87 in Q2 and $271.02 in Q3), including one $121.30 expenditure for "campaign meals" at a Kwik-Shop in Lawrence.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Only ridiculous arrogance or vast stupidity could lead a campaign to spend that kind of money- tens of thousands of dollars- on reimbursing candidates for impossible numbers of miles and for $120 meals from a Kwik Shop.
Every Democrat in Kansas, and every single person that wants to see Nancy Boyda serve another term in Congress should be thankful the folks on the other side are this arrogant, stupid, and liberal with their campaign coffers.
As to Rep. Nancy Boyda? Hasn't reimbursed herself for any mileage at all, or for any newspapers or Big Macs. I'd guess she pays for those sorts of things out of her own pocket- just like a regular, average Kansan would.